THIS WEEK: The Dakota State University women's and men's cross country teams kick off their 2013 campaign – under new head coach Anthony Drealan – Friday night. The Trojans compete in the Augustana (S.D.) Twilight meet to be held at the Yankton Trail in Sioux Falls, S.D.

AUGUSTANA TWILIGHT: Augustana, member of NCAA Division II and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, hosted the twilight meet for the third straight year. The meet will have over 20 collegiate men's and women's teams for the event with the women's race scheduled at 8:30 p.m. with the men's race to follow. The Augustana Twilight meet is a truly unique event because the runners will compete under the lights of Yankton Trail. The women's runners will run a 3-mile course while the men's runners will run 4-mile course. For more information on the map of the course can be found on http://www.goaugie.com/documents/2013/9/3/TwilightCourseMap.pdf?id=3254.

2012 IN REVIEW: Dakota State men's cross country team placed fifth in the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) cross country conference meet in San Marcos, Calif., while the women's placed sixth. Andy Coy, an A.I.I. All-Conference runner, qualified for the NAIA Men's Cross Country Championship meet. In his third NAIA cross country national appearance, Coy produced his career best place finish with a 55th-place finish (25 minutes and 43 seconds).

RETURNERS: Eight runners return back from last year's DSU cross country teams. Michael Hoffman will be a senior this year for the Trojan men's cross country team after taking a medical redshirt last season. He will be joined with four sophomore runners – Taylor Hauge, Steve Selchert, Jared Sutton and Jared Truman. On the women's side, three runners return back from last year women's cross country teams – all sophomores – Anastasia Gentles, Brooke Fritz and Kayla Sveen.

NEW FACES: DSU have five new faces on the cross country teams this fall. Claudio Tejada, Michael Carson and Caleb Hemphill join the Trojan men's cross country team. Victoria Sopko and Autumn Hazelett are the new faces on the DSU women's cross country team.

2013 SCHEDULE: Dakota State will compete in five regular-season meets on their 2013 cross country schedule. The Trojans host its own meet on Sept. 14 at the Madison Country Club. DSU will make trips to St. Paul (Minn.), McCook Lake (S.D.) and Yankton (S.D.) before running in the postseason conference meets. Dakota State heads to Lawrence, Kan. On Nov. 9 to run in the postseason conference qualifying meet (more information will be coming on a later date about the postseason meet). The NAIA Cross Country National Championship meet will be held in Lawrence, Kan. on Nov. 23.

COACHES' CORNER: Anthony Drealan is entering his first year as Dakota State University head cross country coach and his third with the program. In the past two years, Drealan's distance runners enjoyed terrific success at the national level. Drealan is originally from Fulda, Minn., and graduated in May 2011 from Dakota State University with a degree in Business Education. While at Dakota State, Drealan competed for the Trojan cross country and track teams. Drealan holds numerous school records, including the indoor and outdoor Distance Medley Relay (DMR), as well as the outdoor 5000-meter record. Drealan was a two-time NAIA All-American, once as a part of a national runner up DMR squad at the 2010 NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships, and also at the 2009 NAIA National Cross Country Championships. Drealan also helped DSU win its first-ever Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) championship in cross country during the fall of 2009. Drealan completed his master's degree in Health and Human Performance through Adams State University in June 2013. He resides in Madison, S.D with his wife Samantha (Warnke). He will be assisted by long-time DSU cross country/track coach Buzz Stevenson and Cody Foreman.

UP NEXT: Dakota State returns home on Saturday, Sept. 14. The Trojans host the Herb Blakely Invitational. The women's race is slated to start at 10:30 a.m., with the men's race to follow at approximately 11:15 a.m. The races will be held at the Madison Country Club in west side of Madison.